Railway



(No Model.)

R. A. HOUGHTON.

- RAILWAY.

No. 296,411. Patented Apr. 8, 1884.

PATENT FFICE RUFUS A. nouenron, or nnrmnon, OHIO.

RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,411, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed ()ctoher 1, 1853. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Burns A. HOUGHTON, of Defiance, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, haveinvented new an d useful Improvements in Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain, new and useful improvements in the construction of railways; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

It has heretofore been proposed to construct rail-chairs with a base-plate having a hook on one side to cmbrace the foot of the rail and an intermediate plate, said plate having ahook on its opposite end, also to embrace the foot of the rail; but such chairs have the disadvantage of having the base-plate thinnest at that point where the greatest strain occurs, and consequently increases the leverage of the hook by reason of the increased thickness of the inter-, mediate plate at the edgc,where it is embraced by the hook, thus rendering said plate more susceptible to fracture, which objections it is the object of my invention to overcome. This I accomplish by .making'the bed-plate, as well as the intermediate plate, with the greater bulk of the metal directly opposite the hook, or at that point where the greatest amount of strain is likely to occur, and having the hook which projects from the base-plate of the shortest length possible consistent with the strength of the device, all as more fully hereinafter set forth in the following description, and shown in the drawing, in which the drawing represents a cross-section of a rail provided with myimp'roved bed plate or seat.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, A represents the rail which is designed to be rigidly secured to the ties.

0 represents a metalhic bed-plate of any desired and proper length, and is provided with the upwardly-projecting hook-flange c. The

upper face of this bed-plate G has a portion,

0', extending parallel with its under face to a line formed by its junction with a vertical plane passing through the center of the rail, and from said line it inclines downward, as shown at 12, till it reaches a point directly op-. posite the foot of the rail, when it again extends in a horizontal plane parallel with its under face, in this manner forming a'broken surface. Upon this bed 0 rests the intermediate plate, B, which is likewise provided with the upwardly-projecting hook-fiange d, the under face of this intermediate plate, B, being in shape to conform'to the upper face of the bed 0. r

In practice, the two plates 0 B are placed upon the ties, as shown, their hooked flanges embracing the foot of the rail, the parts being held to place by spikes D E, the former of which may pass through slots c in the edge of the plate 0, which projects beyond the plate B, as shown, such spikes being driven so as to force the hooked flanges d 0 toward each other and compel them to firmly grasp the foot of the rail. By this construction of parts I provide an interlocking devicefor securing the rail in place, which can readily be laid so as to break joints, while the employment of fishplates and bolts, as generally used ,is dispensed with.

It is evident that the foot of the plate B may be formed so as to overlap the inner edge of the bed-plate (l, dispensing with the holes a, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is l. A base and support for railway-rails, and as a means for sccurin g the same upon the ties, the bed-plate O and intermediate plate, B, each provided with a projecting hook, as described, said plates constructed with the greater bulk or thickness of metal directly opposite said hooks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the rail A, the intermediate plate, B, and bed-plate 0, adapted to grasp the foot of the rail, said plate constructed with a broken upper surface, substantially as descfibed.

3. In combination with the rail A, and as means for securing the same upon the ties, the of a minimum length, substantially as and for bed-plate 0, provided with the opening a, inthe purpose set forth. V cline surface 1), horizontal plane a, and the hook a, and intermediate plate, 13, having hook RUFUS A. HOUGHTON. 5 d, and an under face substantially conforming to the upper face of the plate 0, as set forth, \Vitnesses: whereby the inner end of the said plate Bis I I H. S. SPRAG-UE, thinnest and the shank of the hook c is made E. WV. ANDREWS. 

